White House expedites 5,000 MW of renewable energy projects

[Katzndogz]

Oh goody, more projects to go bankrupt.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Oh goody, more projects to go bankrupt.

Killing innovation isn't the way forward. I do agree that we should be thinking more about economics when we move forward, but we must think about the other side too.

Also this is in Europe.

 

[Katzndogz]

Europe is hardly a model we should be emulating.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

You know of course that if we put up too many windmills it will slow the earths rotation?

I've heard that too!

 

[ScienceRocks]

Salazar approves massive Wyoming wind farm project


Salazar approves massive Wyoming wind farm project - Businessweek

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Tuesday authorized what he described as potentially the largest wind energy project in the United States, if not the world: A Wyoming wind farm with up to 1,000 turbines that would provide electricity to some 1 million homes.

Roadwork and groundwork could begin next year for the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project. After that, turbines could go up over a three-year period within an area covering 350 square miles of the hilly sagebrush country south of Rawlins in south-central Wyoming.

Most of that area is among the 245 million acres nationwide overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management — hence Salazar's role. Salazar highlighted the project as an example of President Barack Obama's "all of the above" strategy for renewable energy development and fossil fuel extraction on BLM and other public lands.

"Our strategy is getting us within grasp of energy independence in the United States," Salazar said.

The project is one of seven renewable energy projects Interior announced in August that it would expedite for review. Others include the 100-megawatt Quartzsite concentrating solar energy plant in Arizona, the 750-megawatt McCoy photovoltaic project in California, and the 350-megawatt Silver State South solar energy generation plant in Nevada.

"These are going to be landmarks in America. They are going to be what people think about when they think about the American West. And they are going to completely change the way that we think about energy production," said Neil Kornze, acting deputy director of the BLM.

The Chokecherry/Sierra Madre wind project is owned by the Power Company of Wyoming LLC, a wholly owned affiliate of Denver billionaire Phil Anschutz's The Anschutz Corp.

The project is expected to generate up to 3,000 megawatts when completed, bringing to 10,000 megawatts the amount of public-land renewable power that the Interior Department has authorized under Obama, Salazar said. That's enough energy to power more

 

[Synthaholic]

Oddball is a willing buttboy of the oil industry.

And you're a willing dupe of BIG Alternative PipeDreams..


U.S. Pays First Solar To Buy Its Own Panels As Europe Scales Back Subsidies

The subsidies for renewable energy cost German consumers about $14 a month for a family of four. Companies that generate renewable energy get a guaranteed above-market rate for 20 years. In Schlicht’s case, the owner of the building will get a cut of the proceeds in exchange for giving over part of the roof to Geosol.

Though solar energy supplied 3.1% of Germany’s electricity needs in 2011 — hampered in part by the country’s famously dreary weather — the industry consumed closer to half of the overall renewable subsidies, which also support other energy sources such as wind and biomass.

Words like "disaster", monumental mistake and fraud are commonly being used in Europe right now.. $14 a month for something that only produces energy 7 months of the year and not on Tues or Sunday.

Maybe you can tell us all why Wal*Mart is the world's largest consumer of solar panels?

Is Wal*Mart a stupid company that throws money down a rat hole?

 

[Synthaholic]

Oddball is a willing buttboy of the oil industry.

When you can fly a jumbo jet on "renewables", you come get me, Barney.

So, if renewables aren't the answer for every situation, they are worthless?

If we were using renewables to the extent that we should, the price of jet fuel would go so low, it would be a huge boon to the airline industry. People would fly instead of drive, cutting demand even more, while clearing up road congestion and pollution.

 

[flacaltenn]

Oddball is a willing buttboy of the oil industry.

And you're a willing dupe of BIG Alternative PipeDreams..


U.S. Pays First Solar To Buy Its Own Panels As Europe Scales Back Subsidies

The subsidies for renewable energy cost German consumers about $14 a month for a family of four. Companies that generate renewable energy get a guaranteed above-market rate for 20 years. In Schlicht’s case, the owner of the building will get a cut of the proceeds in exchange for giving over part of the roof to Geosol.

Though solar energy supplied 3.1% of Germany’s electricity needs in 2011 — hampered in part by the country’s famously dreary weather — the industry consumed closer to half of the overall renewable subsidies, which also support other energy sources such as wind and biomass.

Words like "disaster", monumental mistake and fraud are commonly being used in Europe right now.. $14 a month for something that only produces energy 7 months of the year and not on Tues or Sunday.

Maybe you can tell us all why Wal*Mart is the world's largest consumer of solar panels?

Is Wal*Mart a stupid company that throws money down a rat hole?

WalMart is smart enough to go into an energy business where they can suck off the taxpayers for subsidies. Shame you don't see that cynical side of their decisions like you do all their other faults.

Walmart doesn't have to worry about where the energy is gonna come from AT NIGHT to keep their freezers and food preserved. Walmart doesn't have to worry about idling perfectly good PRIMARY generators and dump their energy into the ground because the law says solar goes on grid first. All they have to do is provide space on their roofs.

And when the first snow falls in Nebraska --- WalMart will be BACK sucking energy off the PRIMARY generators on the grid..

 

[Synthaholic]

And you're a willing dupe of BIG Alternative PipeDreams..


U.S. Pays First Solar To Buy Its Own Panels As Europe Scales Back Subsidies



Words like "disaster", monumental mistake and fraud are commonly being used in Europe right now.. $14 a month for something that only produces energy 7 months of the year and not on Tues or Sunday.

Maybe you can tell us all why Wal*Mart is the world's largest consumer of solar panels?

Is Wal*Mart a stupid company that throws money down a rat hole?

WalMart is smart enough to go into an energy business where they can suck off the taxpayers for subsidies. Shame you don't see that cynical side of their decisions like you do all their other faults.

Walmart doesn't have to worry about where the energy is gonna come from AT NIGHT to keep their freezers and food preserved. Walmart doesn't have to worry about idling perfectly good PRIMARY generators and dump their energy into the ground because the law says solar goes on grid first. All they have to do is provide space on their roofs.

And when the first snow falls in Nebraska --- WalMart will be BACK sucking energy off the PRIMARY generators on the grid..

Please show us what subsidies Wal*Mart is receiving for solar panels.

 

[flacaltenn]

Maybe you can tell us all why Wal*Mart is the world's largest consumer of solar panels?

Is Wal*Mart a stupid company that throws money down a rat hole?

WalMart is smart enough to go into an energy business where they can suck off the taxpayers for subsidies. Shame you don't see that cynical side of their decisions like you do all their other faults.

Walmart doesn't have to worry about where the energy is gonna come from AT NIGHT to keep their freezers and food preserved. Walmart doesn't have to worry about idling perfectly good PRIMARY generators and dump their energy into the ground because the law says solar goes on grid first. All they have to do is provide space on their roofs.

And when the first snow falls in Nebraska --- WalMart will be BACK sucking energy off the PRIMARY generators on the grid..

Please show us what subsidies Wal*Mart is receiving for solar panels.

You've got to be kidding right? There are SOOOOO many subsidies and programs that Walmart is probably getting those panels installed for 1/2 price and then will have tax advantages for producing every watt of energy.. I can't even NAME all the money that is tossed out there to get sucked up by Walmart. Because in CALIFORNIA for instance, they would get even MORE tax dough than in Nebraska.

Solar Power: A Connecticut Green Company Lands A $30 Million Walmart Contract - Page 2 - Hartford Courant

Renewable energy companies are competing with one another to get a share of $8 million in a program that began this year. They propose projects, and the state picks those that ask for the least amount of government help, and whose companies offer to sell the electricity generated by the project at the cheapest rates for 15 years. That kind of arrangement is known as a reverse auction, and Greenskies put in bids to help cover the cost of buying and installing panels for 13 Walmart stores throughout the state.

If all 13 were selected, Greenskies would capture more than half the $8 million pot.

That's just ONE state-specific pot of gold that Walmart is mining here..

In GENERAL ----

Finance & Tax | SEIA

The U.S. has a long history of supporting energy infrastructure through the U.S. tax code. The market certainty provided by a long-term investment tax credit (ITC) for solar energy has supported private investment in manufacturing and project construction, a vital part in meeting our nation's energy policy goals, driving cost-cutting innovation and job growth.

Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
The ITC reduces tax liability for individuals or businesses that purchase qualifying solar energy technologies, encouraging investment and spurring growth in solar energy.

1603 Treasury Program
The 1603 Treasury Program allows developers to take a federal grant in lieu of the ITC, allowing taxpayers to maximize the return and value of existing energy tax incentives.

Depreciation of Solar Energy Property
Similar to many other sectors of the economy, the U.S. Tax Code allows businesses investing in qualifying solar energy property to recover certain capital costs through income tax deductions.

Solar Tax Exemptions
Solar tax exemptions, including both property and sales tax exemptions, are provided by state and local governments to help lower the costs of owning solar energy property.

Solar Financing Policy
The availability of financing for solar energy projects is a critical issue for the industry. SEIA monitors financial regulations and legislation that may affect the markets for solar financing, and supports a number of specific programs that facilitate the development of solar energy projects of all sizes and technologies, including:

Clean Energy Bank
A government-sponsored clean energy (or green) bank would support renewable energy projects via direct loans, loan guarantees, insurance, and other credit mechanisms.

DOE Loan Guarantee Program
The Department of Energy Loan Guarantee Program (LGP) supports financing of renewable projects and manufacturing facilities, helping to deploy clean energy technologies across the U.S.

You really should be more consistently cynical about Walmarts "motives"..
It's like making them an offer they can't refuse.. NOT ABOUT how economical and useful the technology really is..

 

[Synthaholic]

Then why isn't every big company doing this?

 

[flacaltenn]

Then why isn't every big company doing this?

who knows what lurks in the minds of corporate masters..

For one thing, Walmart owns OUTRIGHT all that roof space. Probably larger than the state of Rhode Island. They are not located in leases or rentals. But also because WalMart has already tuned their energy efficiency in stores and made that savings.

Their decision is NOT to save on electricity, but to go into the energy biz. And with all the $MILLs of candy the Feds, states, and local are currently handing out -- they can make money back quickly on little actual cash layed out.

If the govt offered "no cost loans" and rebates for buying a home, who wouldn't???

(((Oh Snap---- we tried that already didn't we?)))

Others are wary that the support will vanish and they will be stuck with the REAL costs of Solar which include maintaining a fully functional PRIMARY generator (nat gas or coal or nuclear) to sit there idling if the sun shines.

 

[ScienceRocks]

New Obama Solar Energy Blueprint Paves Way for Additional 23.7 GW of Green Power

October 13, 2012 By Andrew Leave a Comment

Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar on Friday announced a federal blueprint for large-scale solar power project developments spanning six Western states. The Obama Administration’s Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) refines the approach that’s been taken previously — the Interior Department is now first identifying solar energy development zones in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah with access to existing or planned transmission capacity and where utility-scale solar PV installations would pose minimal risks to wildlife and ecosystems.

Announced at a press conference in Las Vegas, the PEIS for utility-scale solar energy permitting also establishes incentives for project development and a process through which to consider additional zones and solar projects, according to a Department of Interior press release.


New Solar Power Development Roadmap for the US West

Interior’s announcement demonstrates further follow-through on President Obama’s “all-of-the-above energy strategy” and pledge to boost renewable energy and green economic growth in the US.

Interior on Tuesday reached the President’s goal of authorizing 10,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable power on public lands with the approval of the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project sites in Wyoming. At a combined rated capacity of up to 3,000 MW, the two southeastern Wyoming wind farms could generate enough clean, green renewable power for nearly 1 million US homes and create an estimated 1,000 green jobs.

Interior has authorized 33 renewable energy projects on public lands since 2009. These include 18 utility-scale solar power facilities, seven wind power farms, and eight geothermal power plants, along with associated transmission corridors and infrastructure, the Department noted. Taken together, these projects will produce enough clean electricity to power more than 3.5 million US homes, support some 13,000 construction and operations jobs, and potentially avoid a massive amount of carbon and greenhouse gas emissions over their useful lives.

Clean Technica (Interior Secretary Launches New Solar Energy Development Blueprint Across 6 Western States - CleanTechnica)

 

[TruthSeeker56]

We Can’t Wait: Obama Administration Announces Seven Major Renewable Energy Infrastructure Projects that Would Power 1.5 million Homes to be Expedited

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, as a part of his We Can’t Wait initiative, President Obama announced that seven nationally and regionally significant solar and wind energy projects will be expedited, including projects in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Wyoming. Together, these job-creating infrastructure projects would produce nearly 5,000 megawatts (MW) of clean energy – enough to power approximately 1.5 million homes, and support the President’s all-of-the-above strategy to expand American made energy. As a part of a Presidential Executive Order issued in March of this year, the Office of Management and Budget is charged with overseeing a government-wide effort to make the permitting and review process for infrastructure projects more efficient and effective, saving time while driving better outcomes for the environment and local communities. Additional expedited infrastructure projects will be announced in the coming weeks.

“As part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above strategy to expand domestic energy production and strengthen the economy, we are working to advance smart development of renewable energy on our public lands,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “These seven proposed solar and wind projects have great potential to grow our nation’s energy independence, drive job creation, and power economies across the west.”

The renewable energy projects announced today build on the Obama Administration’s record of success in permitting an unprecedented number of utility-scale renewable energy projects. Thanks to a coordinated and focused review process, in the past three years, the Department of the Interior has approved more utility-scale renewable energy projects on public lands than in the past two decades combined – a total of 31 new projects. When constructed by the companies, these projects are expected to generate enough renewable energy to power 2.3 million American homes.

Mohave Wind Energy (BP Wind)
State: AZ
Coordinating Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation
Target date for completing Federal permit and review decisions: January 2013
The proposed Mohave County Wind Farm is a wind-powered electrical generation facility that would be located on approximately 38,099 acres of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and 8,960 acres of land managed by the Bureau of Reclamation in Mohave County, Arizona. If approved, it would produce up to 425 MW of wind energy and help the state of Arizona meet its targets for renewable energy.

Quartzsite Solar Energy (Solar Reserve)
State: AZ
Coordinating Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
Target date for completing Federal permit and review decisions: December 2012
The proposed concentrating solar power plant would be located on approximately 1,675 acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It would produce an estimated 100 MW of clean energy – enough to power about 30,000 homes – and help the State of Arizona meet its renewable energy goals.

Desert Harvest Solar Energy (enXco)
State: CA
Coordinating Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
Target date for completing Federal permit and review decisions: December 2012
The proposed Desert Harvest Solar Energy project would utilize photovoltaic technology on approximately 1,200 acres in Riverside County, California. The project would produce an estimated 150 MW of solar energy, enough to power about 45,000 homes.

McCoy Solar Energy (NextEra)
State: CA
Coordinating Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
Target date for completing Federal permit and review decisions: December 2012
This proposed solar photovoltaic array would be situated on 4,893 acres in Riverside County, California. It would produce an estimated 750 MW of solar energy – enough clean energy to power 225,000 homes – while helping the State of California meet its targets for renewable energy.

Moapa Solar Energy Center (RES Americas)
State: NV
Coordinating Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs
Target date for completing Federal permit and review decisions: December 2013
This solar project is being developed in cooperation with the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians on a 2,000 acre site on the Moapa River Indian Reservation and on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Clark County, Nevada. If approved, the 200 MW project would employ 100 MW of photovoltaic technology and 100 MW of concentrated solar power technology. Once constructed, this proposed project would be one of the first large-scale solar projects on tribal lands in the U.S.

Silver State South (First Solar)
State: NV
Coordinating Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
Target date for completing Federal permit and review decisions: March 2013
The Silver State South Solar Energy project is a solar energy generation plant proposed on 13,043 acres of public land. If approved, it would produce an estimated 350 MW of clean energy utilizing photovoltaic technology– enough to power approximately 105,000 homes – and help the State of Nevada meet its renewable energy goals. Construction on the 50 MW Silver State North project has been completed, making it the first solar project on public lands to be delivering power to the grid.

Chokecherry/Sierra Madre Wind Energy (Power Company of WY)
State: WY
Coordinating Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
Target date for completing Federal permit and review decisions: October 2014
The proposed Chokecherry and Sierra Madre project, located on approximately 230,000 acres in Carbon County, Wyoming, could produce up to 3,000 MW of wind energy – enough to power over 1 million homes. The Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Farm Project is the largest proposed wind farm in North America. The project, as currently configured, avoids critical sage-grouse habitat identified as “Sage-Grouse Core Areas.” Chokecherry is a multi-tiered decision process that includes a land use plan decision anticipated in October 2012, followed by review of a series of right-of-way applications through 2014.

We Can

It's great to have an "advance list" of the next batch of "alternative energy" companies that will be filing for BANKRUPTCY in the next couple of years.

Thanks!

 

[Mr. H.]

Little known... there are reams of rules and regulations concerning "decommissioning" of wind energy generation sites.

Substantial amounts of solid and industrial waste would be generated during the decommissioning and dismantling of the facility.

Wind Energy Decommissioning/Site Reclamation Phase Impacts

In the state of Illinois alone, Wind Energy Ordinance Decommissioning Requirements are broken down by county...

http://renewableenergy.illinoisstate.edu/wind/databases/0911DecomHandout.pdf